The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Bullet choices. What to choose when choices are few?

Pond, James Pond · September 8, 2012, 05:20 PM

I am presently cutting my teeth (feels more like chiselling) in reloading with 200gr plated bullets in .44 mag. They are truncated cone bullets and lack a cannelure which has caused me some grief in the crimping department. These are my range practice round.

I want to investigate a woods load. I'd use a supply of bullets to work up a good combination of powder, crimp etc, and then just keep a small stock of complete cartridges. Once in a while at the range, and then to keep a full cylinder when in the woods (bear or elk are by far the biggest animals, although seldom seen).

Here are my choices in order of cost, cheapest first:
300gr plated truncated cone, but no cannelure so hard to crimp and produced as a sports shooting bullet. Approx €75 for 500.

240gr FMJ (FPJ) from Prvi Partizan, but available locally. Probably a harder bullet than the plated one, but lighter. Still, ballistics from some companies show the 240gr can have more velocity and energy than a 300gr bullet. I don't think they have a cannelure.
Does that make crimp jacketed bullets a real pain?

240gr SJFP: same details as above. Soft point better or worse than the FMJ for this application? My gut says penetration over expansion for those animals, but I'm not 100% sure. Both these are €95 per 500, although bulk buy may give a discount and available through a shop.

300gr cast bullets from Midway. Most expensive by quite some margin, but do have a cannelure €125-165 per 500 depending on brand, exc shipping

For a while I was sure that 300gr were the best for the job and I'm curious to see what they feel lik out of my 4" barrel, but I hear a lot of good things about 240gr performance.

Which would you choose?

September 8, 2012, 05:20 PM	#1
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	Bullet choices. What to choose when choices are few? I am presently cutting my teeth (feels more like chiselling) in reloading with 200gr plated bullets in .44 mag. They are truncated cone bullets and lack a cannelure which has caused me some grief in the crimping department. These are my range practice round. I want to investigate a woods load. I'd use a supply of bullets to work up a good combination of powder, crimp etc, and then just keep a small stock of complete cartridges. Once in a while at the range, and then to keep a full cylinder when in the woods (bear or elk are by far the biggest animals, although seldom seen). Here are my choices in order of cost, cheapest first: 300gr plated truncated cone, but no cannelure so hard to crimp and produced as a sports shooting bullet. Approx €75 for 500. 240gr FMJ (FPJ) from Prvi Partizan, but available locally. Probably a harder bullet than the plated one, but lighter. Still, ballistics from some companies show the 240gr can have more velocity and energy than a 300gr bullet. I don't think they have a cannelure. Does that make crimp jacketed bullets a real pain? 240gr SJFP: same details as above. Soft point better or worse than the FMJ for this application? My gut says penetration over expansion for those animals, but I'm not 100% sure. Both these are €95 per 500, although bulk buy may give a discount and available through a shop. 300gr cast bullets from Midway. Most expensive by quite some margin, but do have a cannelure €125-165 per 500 depending on brand, exc shipping For a while I was sure that 300gr were the best for the job and I'm curious to see what they feel lik out of my 4" barrel, but I hear a lot of good things about 240gr performance. Which would you choose? __________________ When the right to effective self-defence is denied, that right to self-defence which remains is essentially symbolic. Freedom: Please enjoy responsibly.